‘We have been treated unfairly’: Egypt coach Hassan criticises VAR and refereeing after Argentina loss

That was the verdict of Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan after his side’s dramatic 3-2 defeat to defending champions Argentina, as he launched a scathing attack on VAR, refereeing decisions and the overall fairness of the FIFA World Cup.

Egypt appeared on course for a famous victory after storming into a 2-0 lead, but Argentina mounted a stunning comeback, with Lionel Messi scoring once and setting up another before Enzo Fernández netted a stoppage-time winner to seal a 3-2 triumph.

Advertisement

Despite the spirited performance, Hassan insisted crucial officiating decisions altered the outcome. The Egypt coach pointed to a disallowed goal after a VAR review and a penalty appeal that was not checked in the build-up to Argentina’s decisive goal.

“We looked better than the reigning champions—better in every aspect—but the result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch and external factors off it,” Hassan said.

“Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running.”

Hassan reserved his strongest criticism for French referee François Letexier and the use of VAR.

“We haven’t seen respect or fair play. A penalty was ruled out. It was not even checked by VAR, and our second goal was, for whatever reason, disallowed. We have been treated unfairly. It has been an injustice,” he said.

The Egypt coach also criticised the midday kick-off, arguing that the scheduling placed unnecessary demands on the players. He revealed he confronted Letexier after the final whistle over what he believed were unfair decisions.

“What I told the referee was, ‘This is unfair.’ I said maybe he is carrying a scar or has something to hide,” Hassan added.